The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-10-29
SAVED BY AN ALIBI.
Jim Browns Wild Ride to Prove His
Absence From Scene of Crime.

Absence From Scene of Crime.
From the Cleveland Press
No man loved an ahbi better than Jim
Brown, known IN Ohio's past history as
"Chief of the Counterfeiters of the Cuya-
hoga" The band of outlaws dealt princi-
pally in bogus money and their favcrite way
of escaping justice was by proving an alibi.
The band was SO numerous, so scattered
and withal so loyal, that any sort of evil
dence required to show that a defendant
was somewhere else than at the place of the
alleged crime at the time OF its commission
was always forthcoming from the mouths
of witnesses who often stood high in their
community for veracity. To prove an alibi
Jim Brown once rode horseback from Pitts
burg. Pa, to Boston, Summit county, Ohio,
distance Of about 100 miles, in one night.
The officers arrived at Boston, Browns
home. few hours after his own arrival.
They arrested him. On his trial several
witnesses swore that they saw him at sun
down of the day previous to his arrest in
Pittsburg. These witnesses also identified
his horse. On the defense Brown proved
by a score of good witnesses that he was at
home at sunrise of the morning of his arrest,
and that his horse was sleek and fresh that
day as though it had not been ridden for a
month. The court held that Brown could
not have ridden the distance in the time and
discharged him. But he did ride it and
afterward told how it was done. Finding
himself certain to be arrested if he stayed in
Pittsburg, on certain night, he saddled his
horse-a splendid animal-and as soon as it
was dark started out on his wild ride of 100
miles For the first thirty miles his horse
kept bravely and steadily to his work Then
Brown noticed by the irregular reach and
labored breath that the 4rrible strain was
telling upon his faithful brute. At the next
tavern Brown procured a pint of whisky
and, putting half of it into a small quantity
of water, gave it to his horse. Then on to the
road again, his willing animal working more
steadily. At every hill he would dismount
and run beside his horse till it was passed,
then on and away, to stop at the next taV
ern to give his horse more whisky and water.
In this way-galloping furiously along lev
els, running on foot up and down hills, and
stimulating his steed with all the caution
skillful physician would beStOw upon a
patient critically sick-he reached his home
before daybreak, where confederate was
found to devote his entire attention to the
jaded horse, while Brown purposely showed
himself to as many neighbors as possible,
who testified as before stated.
Fifteen Years ago great daylight robbery
was committed in Hinckley, Medina county,
| Ohio. A farmer named Gay, was the victim.
| He was at home alone, the rest of his family
| having gone TO picnic. About noon, while
going to the barn, he was met by two men
coming from the direction of the woods
| The men were well-dreSsed. One of them
called GAY by name, shocks hands with b III
| and told him he had warrant for his arrest
for counterfeiting, displaying a badge on
| his coat Before Gay had time to compre-
bend what was being done he was handcuff-
ed, blindfolded and being led to the house, into
which he was taken, placed upon bed and
tied down. A pillow was placed over his
mouth and one of the robbers sat upon it
while the other commenced operations upon
a small safe which stood in the next room.
| Failing to force the lock of the safe. the
robber turned it upon its back and blew it
open with gunpowder. The explosion tore
| a large hole in the ceiling and broke two
windows. Securing $1,000 in United States
| bonds and 81 800 in cash, the robbers fed,
as the picnic party, alarmed by the explo-
| sion, was hurrying to the house. Gay was
positive that he cou,d identify the robbers,
| not only by their faces but by their voices.
He had seen them in broad daylight, face to
| face, and they had kept up a running fire
| of bantering talk while the safe was under
going manipulation Guy Foster, of Parma.
and Charles Foster of Brighton, a nephew
of Guy, were arrested. Guy was the father
| of George Foster, shot year or so ago by
Patrolman Corner, in Cleveland. Guy and
Charles were tried in Medina county for rob
bling Gay Their defense was an abb. Gay
swore positively that they were the robbers.
Charles had a large number OF unimpesch-
| able witnesses who swore that he was hunt
| ing seven or eight miles from Gays house
at the time of the robbery. The jury
thought that if Gay could be mistaken about
Charles he might be mistaken about Guy
Foster, and both Fosters were discharged,
and to this day the law has not entangled
| the knot